Atomizer



P. ENGSTRUM July 11, 1950 ATOMIZER 3 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1947P. ENGSTRUM ATOMIZER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28, 1947 I v I I L,

W 6 w M p P. ENGSTRUM ATOMIZER July 11, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed.Feb.- 28, 1947 Pea Z 133761221222 Cutaway.

, Patented July 11 1950 ATOMIZER Paul Engstrum, Washington, D. 0.,assignor to Air-O-Spra. Corporation, a. corporation of DelawareApplication February 28, 1947, Serial No. 731,458

6 Claims. (01. 29988) This invention relates to an atomizer. Theinvention is more particularly concerned I with an atomizer or spraydevice of the pump sion of an atomizer which is relatively simple inconstruction, easy to operate, capable of being readily disassembled andassembled for repair, and which is capable of being manufactured atrelatively W cost.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentin the course of the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is an elevational view of the improved 1 atomizer ofapproximately actual size and showing the spraying action with thedevice in fully contracted position.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partially broken away, the view being on areduced scale and showing the device in fully extended positionpreparatory to the spraying action.

Figs. 3 and 3-A are axial sectional views, substantially on a doublesize scale, Fig. 3-'A being the lower portion of the device as acontinuation of the upper portion shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 is an upper end viewof the device on I the 'scale of Figs. 3 and3--A.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view in the plane of line 55 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view in the plane of line 6-6 on Fig.3-A.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view in the plane of line 'II on Fig.3--A.

Fig. 8 is a view of a push valve mostly in axial section and partiallyin elevation, the valve being shown on a substantially enlarged scale.

Referring now in detail to the drawings by use of reference characters,and wherein like characters designate like parts in the different views,

Ill designates a generally cylindrical head having a depending tubularskirt I I, terminating in a bead I2.

A liquid supporting tank I3 is disposed coaxially of the head It and hasa screw thread connection I4 with the head immediately above the upperend of the skirt II. The tank I3 is of substantial length and of lessdiameter than the head, the bottom of the tank being designated at I5which is at a substantial distance below the bead I2.

The head It! is provided with a port or aperture I6 whose lower endcommunicates with the upper end of the tank I3 and whose upper end isnormally closed by a plug II having a screw thread connection with thehead, and a sealing gasket I8 is interposed between the plug and ashoulder I9 at the upper end of port I 6. The removable plug I'Iprovides for admission of spray liquid into the tank I3, and the gasketI8 prevents escape of the liquid past the plug.

An air tube ZI extends axially oi the head I!) and has at its upper enda screw thread connection 22 with the head and with the bore of the tubecommunicating with a cylindrical bore 23 in the head axially thereof,and the upper end of the bore communicates with the lower end of a port24 of substantially small diameter whose upper end communicates with adepression 25 in the upper end of the head.

The depression 25 is, as more clearly indicated in Fig. 4, ofgenerallyelliptical shape in plan and with the major axis thereofcoinciding with a diameter of the head II] and substantially equal inextent thereto. .The depression 25 permits atmospheric pressure to bearat the outer end of port 24 and port 56, later referred to, anddetermines a conical shaped spray of relatively uniform density. Thedepression 25 in the head Ill may be made in any shape to allowatmospheric pressure at the outer end of ports 2 and 56.

An air check valve is disposed within the bore 23, and comprises a ball29 yieldably urged against the upper end of the air tube 2| by means ofa coil spring 30. v

The lower end of the air tube 2| extends through the bottom I5 of tankI3, a retaining plate 3|, a leather cup- 32, and cup-retaining washer33. The plate 3| rests against the bottom I5 of the tank l3 and it,together with cup 32 and washer 33, are maintained in face-to-faceengagement by means of a nut 34 threadedly en- I gaged with the lowerend of the air tube 2! and bearing on the washer 33, preferably throughthe interposition of awasher 3 1.

A gasket 35 is preferably disposed within a recess in the bottom I5 ofthe tank in surrounding engagement with the air tube 2i to preventescape of liquid from the tank to points below the bottom thereof.

A capillary tube 36 has .its upper end secured in the head II] as bymeans of cementing or otherwise, and the upper end of the tube comllhaving a threaded section 42 engaged with acorrespondingly threadedportion of the opening- Ml. The body portion M i provided with an axialbore 43 communicating with an enlarged recess 44 at one end thereof andthe opposite endof the bore providing a valve seat 45. A valve stem 46of substantially less diameter than the bore 43 extends therethrough andinto, the recess 44. The valve stem at its forward end is provided witha valve 41, which is yieldably retained in seated position by means of aspring 43 surrounding the stem 46 within recess 44 and disposed betweena push head 49 at the outer end of the stern, and a washer 50 resting ona sealing gasket which in turn seats on a shoulder defined at thejuncture of bore 43 and recess M.

The body portion 4| is further provided with diametrically opposed ports53 whose inner ends communicate with the bore 43.

The valve assembly further comprises a nozzle 54 having a recess 55opposed to the valve seat end of the bore 43, and which communicateswith a port 58 extending through the nozzle. A gasket 51 is preferablydisposed between the body portion 4| and the nozzle 54.

A sealing gasket 58 is disposed between the body portion M and a.shoulder in the opening 40 in the assembled position of the valve 39, asindicated in Fig. 3, and with the valve 39 assembled a chamber 68 isprovided about the valve body portion with which the outer ends of port31 and ports 53 all communicate.

As is indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the free end of nozzle 54 is disposedslightly above and substantiall in the axis of the port 24.

A tubular lide member BI is disposed in surrounding re ation to the tankl3, and whose diameter is intermediate that of the tank and the headskirt H s ch that the upper end of the member 6! is disposed between thetank and skirt in the contracted position of the device, as in Figs. 1,3, and 3-A. The upper end of the slide memb r 6! is provided with aplurality of circumferent allv sp ced shoulders 62, (Fig. 5) which enage the tank l3 and act to guide the upper end of the slide member whoseopposite end is initiall guided by the plate 3!, as indicated in Fig.3-A.

The slide member 5! is slightly spaced from the sk r H for reasons laterto appear, and a cushioning washer 63 is dispos d within the head to atthe upper end of skirt H for engagement by the upper end of member 6|when moved upwardlv in the atomizing or s raying movement of the device,and the guide shoulders t2 engage the plate 3! to limit the downwardmovement of the member 6!.

The plate 3! is provided with a plurality of notches 64 in its edge, asshown in Fig. 7, and the c"p member 32 is prov ded with a pair of holes85 opposite concave edges 65 of the washer 3,3, which edges merge intoconvex edges 6.! which extend substantially to the edge of the base ofthe cup member for lending support thereto.

The slide member 6| is provided with a removable cap 68, and a sealinggasket 69 is disposed between the cap and the lower end of member 6|.

The different parts of the device as above described may be made of anydesired material, but for the sake of lightness and appearance, the headIt! including the skirt ll, capillary tube 36, and the slide member 6!,together with its cap 68, are preferably formed of plastic material.

Having set forth the various cooperating structural elements embodied inthe improved device, the operation thereof is as follows:

A suitable spray liquid is introduced into the tank l3 through theaperture l6 upon removal of the plug ll, and the tank may be filled to asubstantial depth.

At. this point it is to be noted that the device is primarily intendedfor use in an upward direction, as in combating flies, mosquitoes, andother flying insects. However, the device may be used in a horizontalposition or even be inclined downwardly, particularly if used with thetube 36 at or in close proximity to the bottom of the device.

With the liquid thus supplied in tank l3, and with the device in itsnormal inoperative position with the upper end of slide member engagingthe washer E3, the head Ill is grasped in the left hand and the slidemember 6| or the cap "38 thereof grasped in the right hand. The slidemember til is now drawn downwardly or away from the head it untilshoulders 62 engage the plate 3!, as is indicated in Fig. 2

' In this action, air is drawn into the chamber within member 85 beneaththe cup 32. The space between member 6! and the skirt II, as well as thenotches 64 in plate 3|, admit the air and, by the provision of the holes65 in the cup, the hissing noise usually experienced during the inactivestroke of atomizers of this type is eliminated, due to free passage ofsome air through the holes into the chamber in addition to passagebeside the cup 32. p

The slide member next advanced toward the head, in which action the airin said chamber is forced through the tube 2i, through the port 24, anddirectly past the end of the nozzle port 56. The outer end of port beingbelow the top of head it prevents injury to nozzle 54. By use of thedepression 25, atmospheric pressure bears at the ends of ports 24 and56, and the depression shown may be varied in shape as observed in topplan view. The air forced out at upper end of port 24 sucks liquid outof port 58, mixes same and propels the resulting spray outward in linewith port 2 in a conical spray, with a minimum of whirl, and ofrelatively even density.

Qf course, the reciprocating action of the slide member is relativelyrapid and during an atomizing or spraying action the valve 41 is heldopen by pressing the valve head 49 by the thumb or finger of the handgrasping the head.

With the valve thus open, liquid is drawn from the tank it, through tubeport 31, into chamber and thence through ports 53, bore 53 and port 56,due to the partial vacuum created at the free end of port 55 by therapid stream of air past same from port 24.

During the retraction of the slide member til, the spring-pressed ball29 closes the upper end of the air tube 2! to avoid differential airpressure at the end of the nozzle port 55.

When an atomizing or spraying operation is completed, the valve llautomatically seats by action of the spring 48 upon relieving pressureon the head 49, thereby closing the capillary tube to the atmosphere.

The purpose of this valve is to avoid loss of spray liquid which, bycapillary action, rises in the tube 36, and which in the absence of thevalve may escape through the port 56. Furthermore, the device when notin use may be laid on its side and by the provision of the valve 39there is no possibility of waste of the spray liquid.

It will be appreciated from the above detailed disclosure of theimproved atomizer that it is a relatively simple and substantialstructure, since all of the elements thereof, except the slide member6|, are supported by the head [0 and depend therefrom. Furthermore, thedevice is attractive in appearance, and is highly efficient inoperation.

While I have disclosed my invention in accordance with a single specificstructural embodiment thereof, such is to be considered as illustrativeonly, and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined inthe subjoined claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. An atomizer comprising a cylindrical head having a depression in theupper end thereof and an opening in the side wall thereof communicatingwith said depression, a spray liquid tank secured to said head anddepending therefrom,

7 an air tube having the upper end thereof secured in said head and incommunication with said depression, said tube extending axially throughsaid tank and terminating below the bottom thereof, a capillary tubehaving its upper end secured in the head and communicating with saidopening, said capillary tube extending into said tank non-axiallythereof, an air sealing cup secured to the lower end of the air tube, atubular slide member surrounding the tank with the cup engaging theinner wall thereof and having a closed lower end providing an airchamber between same and the cup, and atomizing means removablysupported in said opening in communication with said tubes and saiddepression.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said head includes adepending integral tubular skirt whose inner diameter is greater thanthe outer diameter of said slide member, and said skirt and head havinga common cylindrical outer wall.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said atomizing meanscomprises a normally closed manually openable valve member including a,stem having a push head on its outer end projecting outwardly of saidopening.

4. An atomizer comprising a head including an integral depending tubularskirt, a spray liquid tank having its upper end secured in the head anddepending therefrom with its bottom disposed substantially below thebottom of said skirt, an air tube having its upper end secured in thehead and communicating with a bore therein, the said tube extendingthrough said tank and terminating below the bottom thereof, a capillarytube having its upper end secured in the head and communicating with achamber therein, the capillary tube extending into said tank, a tubularslide member disposed between the tankand skirt and having a closedbottom end, a cup member secured to the bottom of the tank in engagementwith the inner wall of the slide member and defining an air chamberbetween same and the closed end of the slide member, ports communicatingwith said bore and first chamber and having free ends in adjacency toprovide a spray upon actuation of said slide member, and a normallyclosed valve in said first chamber for controlling liquid flow throughthe port communicating therewith, said valve including manuallyoperative releasing means disposed externally of said head and below theupper edge thereof.

5. The structure according to claim 4, together with shoulders on theupper end of said slide member successively engageable with a cushionwasher in said head and a plate on the bottom of said tank for limitingmovement of the slide member in its movements toward and from the head,respectively.

6. The structure according to claim 4, together with a circular platedisposed between the lower end of said tank and said cup member andwherein said cup member is clamped to said plate by a washer surroundingthe lower end of said air tube and a nut threaded thereon, a pluralityof airadmission notches in the edge of said plate, and a plurality ofholes in said cup member in spaced relation to the marginal edge of saidwasher.

PAUL ENGSTRUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,020,833 Manning Mar. 19, 19121,845,200 Segal Feb. 16, 1932 1,849,661 Custer Mar. 15, 1932 2,079,587Aronson May 11, 1937 2,081,674 Mehrman et a1. May 25, 1937 2,143,079Maltner Jan. 10, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 623,586 FranceMar. 21, 1927 641,076 France July 27, 1928 645,379 France June 26, 1928681,491 France Feb. 3, 1930

